Safety device for brake-beams and the like



J. McMULLEN.

SAFETY DEVhJE FOR BRAKE BEAMS AND THE LIKE.

APPLICMION FILED OCT. 9. 1915.

Patented Apr. 27, 1920.

WITNESSESL k Wu QM UNITED iiTIiATES JOHN TiTol /IULLEN. OF

PATENT OFFICE.

BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

SAFETY DEVICE .FQR BRAKE-BEAMS AND THE LIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 27, 1920.

Application filed Dctober 9, 1918. Serial No. 124,665.

the following is a full, clear, concise, and

exact description, reference being had to the accompal'iying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in safety devices for brake beams and the like. 7

ln the operation of railway trains, it has been found that many wrecks and derailincur-.1 have been due to the brake beams dropping on the rail ail-er the hanger pins have worked out, due to the fact that the callers employed to retain the hanger pins in position, have been destroyed by the constant vibration and movement of the parts. Not only have accidents been due to the dropping of brake beams but, to a probably less degree, also to the failure of other parts of the truck and its appurtenances iving way caused by similar accidental l alling out of connecting pins.

The object of in invention is to provide a safety device 0 simple and cheap construction whiclr can be applied to equip ment now in service without necessitating any changes in construction and which will overcome the diiliculties heretofore experienced and positively retain the connecting pins in position. he invention also contemplates the provision of a safety device having the characteristics :ibove indicated, which can be easily applied by unskilled labor merely by employing a hammer orother suitable, simple tool.

In the drawing forming a part of this specification, Figure l is a top plan view of portions of a connector and brake beam hanger, showing my improvements in connection therewith. ig. .2 is a side elevation of the structure illustrated in Fig. 1 and showing the safety clip as it is first applied. And Fig. 3 is a View similar to Fig. 2, showing the safety device in its final condition.

In said drawing, 10 denotes a connecting rod or lever having forked ends 1111 between which is received the end 12 of a hanger for brake beams. The forked ends 11 are perforated, as indicated at 13-43 and the end 12 is similarly pcrrorateu, as indicated at 14, to thereby receive the connectirn pin 15,the same having a headed end 16. I? has heretofore been customary to rely upon a cotter such as shown at'l'r', for retaining the pin 15 in position, but experience has provcn that the cotter pin is soon worn oil or destroyed, due to the constant vibration and movement of the parts.

In order to positively insure the retaining of the pin 15 in position and thereby eliminate accidents, I have provided an improved safetyde vice designated generally by the reference A. Said device, as shown, comprises a plate of preferably sheet material adapted to be bent and is preferably first formed of right angle shape, as shown in Fig. 2. The plate is rovided with a perforation 18 through which is adapted to extend the pin 15, The device A is applied as shown .in Fig. 2, that is, with the end or arm '19 having the perforation 18 therein located between the end 12 and the .fork 11 adjacent the headed end of the pin. The other arm 20 of the safety device is then bent by means of a hammer -or other suitable tool to the osition shown at 21 in Fig. 3, that is, a jacent to and directl over the headed end of the pin. By this arrangement, the pin is positively prevented from coming out since 1t is limited in its axial movement by the bent-over end 21 of the safety device.

The improved device can be applied to equipment now in service, since there is always provided sufiicient looseness or clear- -nnce between the forked ends of the corn nectors and hangers to admit of the in sertion of the safety device therebetween, and obviously the improvement can be applied to new equipment withequal facility. The device can be made very cheaply by cutting and punching the same from sheet material; it can be applied by unskilled labor with the simplest of tools; and can'-. not accidentally be displaced, since, no ter what position the safety clip ass 'umes, the end 21 thereof will always be positioned over the head of the pin by which it is supported. i

I have herewith described my improvement as applied more particularly to the connections 50! brake beam han ers, but, as will be an erstood by those slril ed in the art. the improvementis susceptible of use in a great variety of places such as for conneeting cylinder lever connections, floating lever connections, top lever connections, hand brake connections, truck lever connectiom and all connections wherein one member pivotally connected thereto between the forks.

I claim:

1. in a device of the character described, the combination with a member having a forked end, a second member having one end located within said forked end, all of said ends being perforated, and a headed pin extending through said perforations, of a retainer for said pin comprising a plate of snshtantially U shape, one arm of said plate hein perforated andlocated between the end 0? the "second named member and the Fork of the first named member, the other arm of said plate being dis osed over and adjacent the headed end of t e pin.

lo a device of the character described, the combination with two members having alined erforations and a pin extending through said perforations for pivotally c0nmeeting said members, of a retainer for said pin iomprising a plate having two arms, one! of said arms being perforated -and disposed between said members, said pin extending through the perforation of said arm. the other arm of said retainer being extended over one of said members and disposed over the adjacent end of said pin.

in witness that I claim the foregoing I lnu'r hereunto subscribed my name this 5th {la y Ui (lCCOliOF.

JOHN MGMULLEN.

Witnesses J. M. GEOFF, l immmc'rn M. Bnrr'r. 

